This 'psychic' lion has predicted that England will beat Iran in their opening World Cup game in Qatar.

The nine-year-old male lion named 'Chao Boy' had the choice of two pieces of meat attached to flags - and jumped straight towards the Saint George's Cross.

According to the clairvoyant big cat, England will beat Iran this Monday, November 21, while the Netherlands will trounce the Senegal team.

Caretakers at the zoo in Khon Kaen, northeast Thailand, said that Chao Boy had correctly predicted results in the Euro 2020 tournament.

Narongwit Chodchoi, Khon Kaen zoo director, said: 'These predictions are just for fun. The lion gets to exercise, relieve stress, and express its natural behaviour while receiving enough nutrition every day.'

Chodchoi said that the lion's previous predictions two years ago had been accurate.

He added: 'Chao Boy has a skill for choosing the right team. We think he will be accurate this year, too.'

Chao Boy was not so accurate in his prediction in the opening game between Qatar and Ecuador. He chose the Qatari flag but they lost 0-2 to the South American side on Sunday night.